Television

Monday, June 9, 2014

AG investigation of investigation approved by judge

A judge reviewing state Attorney General Kathleen Kane’s investigation of Gov. Tom Corbett's investigation of Jerry Sandusky's child sexual abuse case has approved the report and the document could be released soon, reported the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.
Kane’s inquiry into why it took Corbett three years to investigate and charge Sandusky needed the judge’s approval because the report contains grand jury testimony, which had expectations of secrecy, according to the Centre Daily Times.
In a meeting PennLive’s editorial board, which was live-streamed on the Internet, Kane said the report is “nearing completion,” and investigators are dealing with “legalities” they must abide by before the report can be released.
After the report is approved by the judge, those who were interviewed will get a chance to review portions of it. Kane declined to comment about who will get a chance to review the document. However, it is expected that Gov. Corbett and former assistant attorney general Frank Fina will get to review the report.
Corbett was interviewed last week by the special prosecutor in the case.
Fulfilling an election vow, Kane appointed former federal prosecutor H. Geoffrey Moulton Jr. to probe Corbett’s investigation, which she questioned during her own campaign for attorney general. The issue became a focal point and Kane won in a landslide.
Moulton has since been investigating how previous attorneys general Tom Corbett — who is now governor — and Corbett’s appointed successor, Linda Kelly, handled allegations against Sandusky between 2009 and 2011.
The investigation into Sandusky’s abuse started when a teen, Aaron Fisher, told Clinton County authorities in January 2009 that the former Penn State coach had touched him inappropriately. The case was referred to Centre County’s then-district attorney, Michael Madeira, who referred it to the Attorney General’s Office.
Sandusky was sentenced to at least 30 years in prison and is serving his time in solitary confinement. He maintains his innocence, but has exhausted his appeals to higher courts.
“From the very beginning, I said this report was most important to me and I believe to all of Pennsylvania because it dealt with child sexual abuse,” Kane told PennLive. “To me, making sure our children are protected is the most important thing. If we can do things in a better way, by all means we should look into doing things a better way.”
Kane wouldn’t go into specifics about the report, but she called it factual, fair and complete.
“What is expected from this report is the facts,” she said. “Where we can make a determination we’ll make it, where we can’t, we’ll tell you that as well. At some points it may be left up to the reader to determine what their feeling is, but I can tell you , it’s a very fair and accurate report."
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An analysis of crime and punishment from the perspective of a former prosecutor and current criminal justice practitioner.
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